Colorado State University Athletics
Keeping it in the Rams Family
7/1/2015 12:00:00 AM | General
Ram Alumni Athletes Association
By John Hirn
CSU Athletics Historian
It is a tradition as old as CSU athletics, yet is one that has been carried on by student-athletes, not by the fans or athletic department. Since the first football team of 1893, family members have played an integral part in CSU athletics with siblings, parents, grandparents or aunts and uncles all playing a sport for the Aggies or Rams.
In 1893, the first football team featured brothers Henry and Richard Calkins as the first athletes to been related to one another and play at CSU. Since then the Aggies and Rams have had a myriad of athletes, not only in football, but baseball, softball and basketball where siblings have competed on various teams.
Some of the most famous brothers that have played at CSU have been the Bell Brothers, Mike and Mark E. Bell, in the 1970s, the four Glick Brothers, Gary, Ivan, Fred and Leon in the 1950s and the Gallimore twins from 1999 to 2001. The three McGraw brothers, Fum, Hersh and Bill all played in the 1940s and today we are very familiar with the Kawulok brothers of Chris, Mike and youngest brother Joe who is a senior on the Rams this fall.
Other sports than football have boasted family combinations that have spread across multiple generations. In baseball, Dick Kitamura, one of the finest of the game at CSU played on the 1950 College World Series team. His sons, Galen and David then came over from their native state of Hawaii to play at CSU 20 years later.
In basketball the Rams not only have the twin brothers Floyd and Lloyd Kerr, but their nephew, Jeremiah Paige is a redshirt freshman on the CSU men’s basketball team today. Paige’s father, Larry Paige played for the Rams in the late 1970s.
The tradition of fathers and sons has lasted for several years in CSU athletics and dates to the 1930s when Jim Hartman, a star on the 1933 and 1934 championship football team, had two of his sons play football at CSU in the 1950s. Both Jim Jr. and Reid Hartman carried on their father’s legacy for the Aggies. Other father-son combinations have included Norm and Jeremy Burkett, Frank and Mike Faucett and Mike and Derek Yurosek.
The father-son tradition has also crossed into the coaching ranks as well with the legendary Harry Hughes coaching football with his son William as a halfback in the mid 1930s. Bob Davis’ son Ted played on the CSU basketball team in the late 1950s while his father was the school’s athletic director. Modern-day legend Sonny Lubick carried the family legacy in a different way when his sons Marc and Matt became assistant coaches for their father in the 1990s and 2000s.
Even grandfathers’ have had their grandchildren play at their alma mater and carry on a family legacy. Most recently Katie Hansen, granddaughter of Fum McGraw, was an outstanding track and field star for CSU much like her grandfather; both won All-American awards in track. Rams hall of fame inductee Alex Burl had two of his grandsons, Cameron and Davis Burl play football for the Rams in the 2000s.
Today the Rams softball team can boast the most family legacy on the diamond than any other sport. Rams quarterback great Kelly Stouffer’s daughter Maci is an infielder for the Rams who will begin her senior season in 2015-16.
It is the Oglesby family that has seen several generations play various sports for the Rams. Fred Oglesby played football in the 1960s and was the Ram’s head athletic trainer from 1974 to 2005. Fred’s son Luke played on the last varsity baseball team in 1992 and Fred’s daughter, Chris, played softball for the Rams in the late 1980s. Now the third generation of Oglesby’s are on the softball field once again. Chris’ eldest daughter Taylor just completed her senior season where she was named to the MWC All-Conference team. Taylor’s sister Haley will be a sophomore for the Rams and youngest sister Bridgette will join the Rams as a freshman in 2015-16.
There are many, many more Aggies and Rams that have played various sports since its inception in 1893. Although all could not be named, it is a tradition that will continue for many years to come.
